A lot of you may be wondering if you should focus your efforts on building a mobile website, or a mobile app for your online storefront. Well, the answer is both because each caters to a different type of customer. Characteristically, an app is most well-known as a bookmark for loyal customers who want to easily interact with your brand. A mobile site is for everyone else that your brand encounters.
Just so we’re clear: apps can be really effective in deepening relationships with customers, but the main source of your traffic will more commonly derive from the web. A lot of the time apps are designed for specific platforms, but a mobile site is accessible by all users across all screens. To put it simply, having only an app is not the same as having a mobile strategy. [1]
If you’re in a situation where you have to itemize between an app and a mobile responsive site, your first priority should be creating a mobile-optimized website. What we’re trying to get at is that your number one goal should be to launch your mobile presence with a great mobile experience.
Fast Facts
57% of users say they won’t recommend a business with a poorly-designed mobile site 40% have turned to a competitor’s site after a bad mobile experience [2]
Each customer is unique in their own way, so why not tailor that experience specific to them? While you’re at it, why not tailor that experience to each device they use to complete the full circle? First, make sure you’re designing specifically for mobile, rather than simply copying and pasting content from your desktop site and forcing it to fit on a mobile screen.
Let’s take a step back and re-consider the whole experience from a mobile user’s mindset and needs. As mentioned, your mobile site should differ from your desktop site. This isn’t just because the devices are different sizes, but because your mobile user will have a different mindset than the desktop user. With that notion in mind, we often find that mobile users are at different points in the funnel. So, we should be asking ourselves questions like: how does my site appear to mobile users? Am I making it easy, or difficult, for visitors to get what they came to my site for?
A usual browsing experience from a desktop computer usually consists of someone sitting in a 90 degree angled position, in front of a 10” to 15” screen, with a mouse, and a full keyboard. Now compare this to someone browsing from a smartphone: people are usually on-the-go, looking at a 4” to 6” sized screen, and usually have one free hand to navigate. [3]
As a result, mobile-friendly experiences usually feature very simplified navigation bars, quick-to-load images, and streamlined text. As you may have encountered with many successful mobile sites today, reducing or eliminating the option of scrolling or typing, can ease a user's overall experience.
Homepage & Site Navigation
Keep calls-to-action upfront and center
Keep menus short and sweet
Make it simple to navigate back to the homepage
Don’t overshadow content with promotions
Site Search
Make site search visible
Ensure site search results are relevant
Implement filters to improve site search usability
Guide users to better site search results
Commerce & Conversions
Let users look around before they commit
Let users purchase as a guest
Use existing information to maximize convenience
Use click-to-call buttons for complex tasks
Make it easy to finish converting on another device
Form Entry
Streamline information entry
Choose the simplest input method for each task
Provide a visual calendar when selecting dates
Minimize form errors with labeling and real-time validation
Design efficient forms
Usability & Form Factor
Optimize your entire site for mobile
Don’t make users pinch-to-zoom
Make product images expandable
Tell users which screen orientation works best
Keep your user in a single browser window
Avoid “full site” labeling
Be clear why you need a user’s location [4]
Mobile users tend to be very goal-oriented -- they expect to be able to get what they need from a mobile site easily, immediately, and on their own terms. Ensure success by designing with their context and needs in mind without sacrificing richness of content.
For more on eCommerce Solutions, contact us or see: The Anatomy of an Optimized Web Page [Infographic]
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Sources: Graphic - Inspired Worx